Friday, 23 September 2016

Jackson
Carlisle has rotten luck with men and women, and after an especially
bad situation, he takes a step back from romance. But with a two-week
family reunion in Hawaii looming, his mom is determined to set him up
with one of the sweet singles she knows would be perfect for him. A
normal person would tell her no and be done with it. Instead, Jackson
tells her he has a boyfriend. The only problem? He doesn’t.

Aaron
Wilkes is an escort. He’s a little surprised when a friend’s girlfriend
hires him to date her brother, but he’s had stranger jobs. Jackson is
cute, and he thinks a fling with Aaron might be just the kind of
no-strings-attached fun he needs to get over his dry spell. As they
explore the islands together, their carefully laid plans begin to get
away from them. Feelings aren’t supposed to come into play, but that
shouldn’t be a problem. After all, you can’t fall in love in two weeks….

REVIEW

*** stars

I read the first installment of Carlisle family with James and Bastien. I think I can see the similarities from the two books. Comfort read, with a little plot twist near the ending, sweet until 80 percent mark and twist and the end, with a sweet ending. It's not that I'm complaining, but some of the 'detail scenes', like when Bastien and James sharing the recipes and cooking details, this time Aaron and Jackson sharing their 'adventure'. I was glad this time there's not too much details like the previous book, maybe it's Aaron's 'occupancy'make it hard to put on details.

Speaking of Aaron's job, I think this should be a bit more fire in the story, but it's was just okay, while I need 'steamy' at time. Blame me.

This is actually sweet, with a little ridiculous jealousy here and there. The low self esteem of Jackson about relationship. And the way Aaron tried to convinced Jackson that not every relationship will ended bad.

I'm still having a hard time with the nosy family, especially the twins and Mother.

Well, Aaron seemed okay with them, so...let him be.

I also have a little problem with Aaron's job at the end of the book. But since Jackson accepted what he do for a living, I guess, that won't be my problem in the future. Let Jackson have it.LOL.

Overall, this is an okay read. If you're looking for this kind of story, go for it!

*I was given the ARC by the Publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. No high rating required.*

Love
buried his heart in the cold, hard ground. Now he’s fighting to keep it there.

Title: Unearthed

Series: The Dungeon Black Duology

Author: Kora Knight

Release: September 30th

BLURB

Love. The most
powerful force in existence, but also the most ruthless. Cunning and deceptive.
Man’s greatest Achilles heel. Leaving all who embrace it weak and vulnerable.

At least that’s
how Dom-for-hire Max Kelley sees it, after the love of his life knocked him on
his ass. A brutal blow that not only stole his breath, but decimated his
ability to trust. Turning him cold and cynical. The knockout punch he never saw
coming.

Love. A mistake
Max won’t ever make again.

Meaning no more
relationships—not exactly a hardship. Hell, just the thought of dating makes
him queasy, and one of the reasons he doms for a living. To sexually engage
without the poison of intimacy. The other reason? To keep his demons sated.
With whips and chains, and scandalous kink. A fiery mix that always hits the
spot.

That is, until a
bright-eyed beauty walks into his life and refuses to leave.

Sean Matthews.
College senior and flirt extraordinaire. Max’s newest—and greenest—client sub.
Man, is he delicious; able to push Max’s buttons, able to make him crave the
things he knows he shouldn’t. Sound the alarm, this can only mean trouble.
Unfortunately, deterring Sean proves virtually impossible, and now Max finds
himself at a crossroads.

Man up and kick
his favorite sub to the curb… or succumb to his own caged desires.

** spoiler alert **
This is a play by play erotic BDSM story. No, not romance
(yet), because I think we have to wait until the second book to feel
the romance between Max and Sean. There's glimpse of a little romance in
the future.

The early life of Max captivated me in the
beginning, the story how he became what he is now. Story about Kevin
broke my heart (prepare your heart for this too), and there's one reason
only to make Max a very hard man now.Sean's past was not pretty as well, oh boy, Sean definitely need Max for his therapy!

From the start until 40 percent mark, I was enjoying the journey. But honesty, I have a little problem with the 'play by play' explanation, the details about Max and his 'clients', Max and Sean's interaction during 'the sessions', if you know what I mean.This
probably needed in the story, maybe I'm not into this scenes, no idea.
This is probably yours, if you like erotic explanation during sex.The 'relationship' or let's call it tension between Max and Sean though is sexy.

I admit, the first 'encounter' between Max and Sean was hot, and full of feelings. Mostly
the after, when he tend Sean with care he never gave to anyone, and how
he loved running his fingers through Sean's hair, it was the sweetest
moments of them.And all the 'after' as well, hooked
me. It shows that 'the real Max' is not as hard as he wants people see
him. And he can only show it to Scott and Sean apparently. But that's enough, for now.

I
can't wait to read the final installment of this book, I need more
romance, and Max to soften a little. Come on Max, Sean falls for you and
you falls for him, admit it!The story though, ended with a HFN, not
a major cliffhanger. That's okay with me. And now, I can't wait for the
second book, and I need their HEA!

PS. You don't need to read the story about Scott first, because, this is (gladly) the story, 'before' Scott and Tad.

* I was given the ARC by the author in exchange of a fair and unbiased review.

Tuesday, 20 September 2016

BLURBMichael Cook has left
his abusive lover and settled in the small town of Banning, Illinois.
Having nowhere else to go, he checks into the Raven’s Rest Inn and soon
learns that the haunted reputation of the hotel is well deserved.
Michael gets a job at a local café, where he meets Trey Ramsey. Though
Michael has misgivings about starting up a new relationship, Trey seems
to be the complete opposite of Michael’s controlling ex, so he decides
to give Trey a chance.

Life at the Raven’s Rest becomes
increasingly frightening when the ghost of Coleman Hollis appears in
Michael’s room. Coleman seems to want something from Michael, and the
mystery deepens when Michael discovers he’s the spitting image of
Coleman’s lover from years ago. Together, Michael and Trey must discover
why Coleman’s spirit is drawn to the Raven’s Rest—and to Michael.

Stephen Osborne is a new to me author. This is my first book from this author, and will definitely won't be my last.
I liked the story, I liked the writing style. Ravens Rest is one of those book I should've avoided in a first place, because I'm not a fan of ghost story. I saw too many in real life, and it's not pretty. But, this one caught my attention just fine. And I liked this. A lot.

This is actually the interesting story with ghost and mystery around them, not to mention a little distraction from a douche ex.
Many things happens in one go. Kinda good distraction for me to know this is not the ghost story only. I was even cry when I know how the ghost story ended in this book, and that solely broke my heart.
Moral of the ghost story :
Some parents, need to learn the hard way how to love their children unconditionally. And just so you know, I hate parents with 'conditional' love! HATE!

As for Michael and Trey, they have this one called 'insta-love'. I'm not complaining, the author did it smoothly with these two, starting with a kiss, and everything suddenly fit into places.
There's some scenes with Kevin, Michael's ex, I almost felt sorry for him. But once again, when you love someone, let them be who they are, not the one you want them to be. That alone, won't make your relationship last. And Kevin's finally knew that.

This is a good distraction from my usual read, so, I think, in the near future, I'll find some of Stephen Osborne books!

Recommended!
Thanks Ami for the recommendation :)

* I was given the ARC by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Sunday, 18 September 2016

BLURBCan a pickup line from a stranger completely change the way an ordinary man sees himself?

Adrian
wouldn’t have thought so, but after an ugly breakup where his
self-esteem took a serious beating, he’s willing to try just about
anything to repair the damage… even return to a secluded bar in rural
Maryland and the intriguing stranger whose words have been on his mind
since they met.

Biker, bouncer, bartender, and tattoo artist,
Wyatt is a rolling stone. After fifteen years, he is tired of a life on
the run, but he isn’t sure he knows how to do anything else or if he has
anything besides a physical relationship to offer.

What’s
supposed to be a one-off turns into another and another, and the
relationship looks promising until the mob and the FBI come knocking on
Adrian’s door.

The tittle caught me at first. I mean, oow..Power bottom can be so persuasive when it comes to sex, huh?
I have no complain about the sex, it was hot right after Adrian met Wyatt again for the second time.
It was lust at a first sight. But along the way, Wyatt became addicted to Adrian, so was Adrian to him.
If you're looking for a sweet sugary story, I don't think this book is what you're looking for.
Adrian and Wyatt experienced some adventure, that actually can tear them apart.
There's a little disappointment in my detective head about Wyatt's past.
Because fifteen years is quite long and there's no explanation about people who's after him. It was just disappear, done.
A little bit closure would be fine.
Wyatt though, think he's the one who can't stay away from Adrian, and keep in denial that it was just sex.
Overall, this one is quite good if you're looking for some adventure romance and a great sex.
What re you waiting for? This is probably a story for you.

*ARC provided by publisher for a fair and unbiased review. No high rating required.*

Cody
Hayes is having one epic morning-after. The hangover following a Vegas
bachelor party is nothing new to him, and neither is the naked man in
his bed.

His apparent marriage is a different story.

Carefully
plotting every detail of his life carried Julian Canales to a Senate
seat as an openly gay man. A drunken night of Truth or Dare isn’t like
him… and neither is marrying a man he just met. He’d get an annulment,
but the media has gotten wind of his hasty nuptials. If Julian’s
political career is going to survive, he has to stay married to a man
who’s his opposite in every way.

Now he must convince Cody that
all they need to do is survive a conservative political rival, a
heartbroken ex, their painful pasts… and an attraction neither man can
fight.

Jacob did a great job with Being True, one of the best YA MM I have ever read.
So when I saw this popped up in Dreamspinner press website, this one I must have.
I really loved the cover, it's cute and pictured my guy Cody Hayes so right. He's funny, adorable nd easy to like.
That's what caught Julian Canales in a first place.
Stiff, arrogant and filthy rich, and he wanted Cody. Not at first, but you know what they called about Vegas huh? Hypnotic.
And waking up married to the guy he proposed last night, was kinda freaked him out at first.

The story is cute, light with a little drama near the end. But Julian needed it, because he's a stubborn when it comes to love.
But Cody got him to think that there's nothing's wrong with love in marriage.
I have a love hate love relationship with Julian (never Cody, he's awesome like that). Sometime I want to hug hm, but most of the time I wanted to slap him to wake him up, to tel, him, oh come on Julian! It's Cody that you need!

I don't really like both of their families, so many times, like a real life, family kills our dreams...so many times. Along the way, Cody and Julian have to thank Julian's ex, I think, because he's the one who made Julian open his heart for Cody. The guy need a man who can love him in the future (hints).
As for Cody's friends, I can't really like them, but they're okay when it comes to protect Cody. So, I have no problem with them.
Oh one more, I need an epilogue!

Overall, this book is entertaining. Cody is funny, and I liked his sense of humor, I giggle and laugh every time Cody called Julian 'sweet names' that Julian's hate. He got you there, Julian!
I can't believe I haven't read the first book, so, I think I'll dig in today.

Jacob Z. Flores lives a double
life. During the day, he is a respected college English professor and
mid-level administrator. At night and during his summer vacation, he
loosens the tie and tosses aside the trendy sports coat to write man on
man fiction, where the hard ass assessor of freshmen level composition
turns his attention to the firm posteriors and other rigid appendages of
the characters in his fictional world.

Summers in Provincetown,
Massachusetts, provide Jacob with inspiration for his fiction. The
abundance of barely clothed man flesh and daily debauchery stimulates
his personal muse. When he isn’t stroking the keyboard, Jacob spends
time with his daughter. They both represent a bright blue blip in an
otherwise predominantly red swath in south Texas.

Thursday, 15 September 2016

After
being dumped by his long-term boyfriend for being overweight, Henry Beckett
decides to make some drastic changes. In a vain attempt at getting his
boyfriend back, Henry does the most absurdly frightening thing he can think of.

He
joins a gym.

Reed
Henske is a personal trainer whoisn’t sure he’ll ever be ready to date again. He’s
sick of guys who are only interested in the perfect body image, never seeing
him for who he really is.

As
Reed tortures Henry with things like diet and exercise, Henry enamours Reed
with recipes and laughter. As the friendship lines start to blur, Henry is
convinced there’s no way Thor-like Reed could ever be interested in a guy like
him.

Reed
just has to convince Henry that life isn’t about reaching your ideal bodyweight.
It’s about finding your perfect counterweight.

Excerpt:

Most
people can’t tell you the moment their life changed. One day they’re twenty
years old with the world at their feet, then the next they’re closer to forty
and wondering where the hell their life went. There’s no Logan’s Run age qualifier that deems you’re past your use-by date.
There’s no ceremony with gowns and funny hats to say you’ve graduated from
ticking one age-group box on a survey to ticking the next age-group box. You
just turn around, and wham-bam-thank-you-very-fucking-much, you’re old.

Well,
older.

I’m
thirty-five. I don’t classify myself as old. Well, I didn’t.

Until
Graham, my live-in boyfriend of eight years, came home and told me he was done.
He didn’t want to spend his life with an overweight old man. I wasn’t fun
anymore. I didn’t look after myself anymore. I wasn’t what he wanted.

And
that was the moment my life changed.

Just
to be clear on one thing, my now ex-boyfriend is the same age as me. And when
he called me an old man, he wasn’t having a dig at my age. He was having a go
at how I lived my life. I didn’t go out clubbing, I didn’t go for runs through
the park, I didn’t want to go hiking on weekends.

Strolls
for coffee, yes. And weekends at a log cabin reading books, doing wine tours,
and cooking too much food, yes. I was more about enjoying the finer things in
life, whereas he was avoiding his thirties the same way a cat avoided going to
the vet. And apparently that made me old.

So
the age comment I could ignore because I liked what I liked. But the overweight
comment hit me hard.

After
I’d gotten over the shock of his words and the shock of seeing his stuff packed
in boxes and his front door key sitting on the kitchen bench, the realisation
hit me that, yes, he really was leaving me. But the biggest shock came
afterwards. After two bottles of wine and sobbing with my best friend, Anika,
on the now-mostly-empty living room floor, I made my way to the bathroom. Drunk
and an emotional mess, I stripped off intending to shower. Only I saw myself in
the mirror and, for the first time, saw myself.

And
I saw how Graham saw me, and I saw why he left me.

I
was overweight. I did look old. I was a fucking mess.

So
yes, that, the very lowest point of my life, was the day my life changed.

* * *
*

Two
days later I stood out the front of the local gym, which was ten minutes from
my place, that I’d driven past a thousand times, gathering my resolve to walk
inside. With a deep breath and newfound determination, I pushed through the
doors and walked up to the reception counter. A young and fit looking woman
smiled brightly at me. “Can I help you?”

“Yes.
My name is Henry Beckett. And I need some help getting my boyfriend back.”

She
blinked. “Pardon?”

“My
life,” I amended quickly. Great work
Henry, you idiot. Announce that you have
no life andyou’re gay as an icebreaker. Seriously, this
is why you’re single. “I meant to say, I need help getting my life back.”

I
heard someone chuckle beside me, and I turned to see a gorgeous, six foot
fridge-sized man smiling at me. He had short blond hair, stunning blue eyes,
and he wore a gym uniform so tight it looked like it was painted on. He held
out his hand, and I was almost scared to shake it in fear he would crush my
fingers or something, but it was warm and firm. “My name’s Reed. And you’ve
come to the right place.”

This book, should have come with a warning : Do not read in any public place. Because people will think that you are crazy happy or need a therapy. Seriously.
I can’t stop giggling and laughing while reading this. Oh Henry…You’ll love Henry’s motor mouth and no-filter mouth! He is hilarious! No wonder why Reed is so smitten with him since he first met Henry.

Henry need to have his life back after his douche ex dump him because he’s ‘old and fat’. Ugh, what kind of breaking up line was that?
And of course after that, gym is the best solution. With his no-filter mouth, he caught Reed’s attention easily, and they’re became friends after the first ‘program’.
Henry was still feel his low self confidence when he’s with Reed, but after Reed revealed his ‘secret’, and why he hates it when Henry called himself fat. Well, Henry’s finally understood why Reed can put up with his issue all this time. And he can finally gained his self confidence, with Reed’s help.

This is a slow burn story which a bit rare for Nic’s books, and hilarious because every time Henry open his mouth, he makes me and Reed laugh and it’s hard to see why his ex dump him in a first place. Henry is adorable and lucky Reed for having him.
Oh and you know it’s always true, when people says, ‘a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’. And Henry proofed it with his addictive Citrus cake that Reed become to love since the first slice . Reed loved it in a level, addictive. Oh Henry…you got it right bruh!
This is a no-angst comfort happy read, and I NEED this in my life. I have missed Henry and Reed already, and now I’m in a second read.
And Nic, I need the recipes!!!
Highly recommended! And be happy.

Special recommendation for my friend Dey. This one is good for gaining your anti-body.
This is soooooooo adorable !
Read. This. Book!!!!!!!!!